Indholdsfortegnelse for 2025-01-10 i Mercury

I was watching the news on eNCA Tuesday morning and on the ticker tape appeared the gruesome news that 13 adults and 5 children had perished in a crash on Van Reneen’s Pass. I waited and waited to see more details of the accident but the main news bulletin gave no coverage of the crash. It spent much time on the weather, the flooding in Limpopo, the Lusisiki murders and the ANC’s 113th anniversary celebrations. It even went as far away as China and brought us news of the earthquake that killed 53. But the morning news presenter, Dan Moyane, made no mention of the horrific accident right in our backyard. I suppose he has no say on the news content; he’s a news reader. I managed to get some…

Ahead of his Special Official Funeral Category 2 tomorrow, the IFP takes this opportunity to send our deepest condolences to the Bengu and ANC family at large, following the passing of Professor Sibusiso Bengu. Your loss, is indeed our loss. The news of the passing of Prof Bengu was received with a deep sense of sorrow, as he was not only a nonagenarian of immense knowledge, but a stalwart of the IFP who served as the first IFP secretary-general from 1975 – 1978. His passing comes at a time when the IFP will be celebrating 50 years of existence, in March, and we will fondly remember his role in shaping the robust IFP of today. At the very beginning of the IFP’s political life, Prof Bengu invested immensely in giving…

THE KwaZulu-Natal Department of Public Works and Infrastructure is calling for an investigation into the awarding of contracts valued at over R1 billion to a single company. Public Works MEC Martin Meyer plans to enlist the Hawks to investigate how this company secured multiple tenders from the department. The unnamed company has been providing professional consultancy services, among others. “It is not just one contract involved; there are many contracts. This has been happening over a period of time,” said Meyer. This issue came to light as the department conducted an investigation into the activities of its Supply Chain Management (SCM) unit following several complaints. The department revealed that it had dismissed one official as a result of that investigation, which uncovered wrongdoing on his part. The official was a…

The National Health Department says it will announce implementation plans developed with provinces and the Treasury to recruit more doctors amid concerns raised by the South African Medical Association Trade Union (Samatu) that 450 doctors who had completed their community service remained unemployed. Samatu raised the alarm this week over the ongoing issue of unemployed doctors who had completed their community service. “Samatu has over the years engaged the National Department of Health to highlight the dire consequences that the department’s lack of strategy in retaining doctors post community service has on the public health system of our country. Each year, successive ministers of Health have acknowledged the gravity of this situation and the need to develop concrete strategies (to address this issue). However, after so many years we are…

The fuel price relief that South Africans enjoyed in the latter part of last year, when petrol and diesel prices sank to three-year lows, looks set to be further eroded next month. The latest data from the Central Energy Fund is pointing to petrol price increases of around 64 cents for 95 Unleaded and 68 cents for 93 Unleaded, while diesel looks set to go up by between 70 cents (500ppm) and 72 cents (50ppm). Although October saw petrol and diesel prices hit their lowest levels since February 2022, the following three months saw petrol rising by 54 cents and diesel by 82 cents. Should the abovementioned predictions materialise, a litre of 95 Unleaded petrol will cost around R21.44 at the coast and R22.23 in February, with 93 Unleaded retailing…

Airlink has resumed flights to Nampula following reassurances from South African and Mozambican authorities that the airline’s aircraft will not be seized at the northern Mozambique airport. This comes after Airlink announced earlier this week that flights to the airport in Nampula would be suspended due to a lawsuit that was filed in a Mozambique court by two Mozambican passengers claiming damages after they were removed from a flight in Johannesburg. The claim was accompanied by a court application to have Airlink’s aircraft seized in Mozambique pending the outcome of the claim. “The passengers were offloaded due to their unruly, belligerent and threatening behaviour towards the cabin attendant prior to departure from Johannesburg to Nampula on December 7, 2024. Airlink does not tolerate unruly behaviour on board its aircraft as…

Illegal miners, who were arrested after being rescued from disused mines at Stilfontein, North West, have appeared in court where they received suspended sentences. The second batch of zama zamas appeared in the Stilfontein Magistrate’s Court on December 31 where they were sentenced for illicit mining and contravention of the Immigration Act. “The accused include 10 Lesotho nationals, four Mozambican and five Zimbabwean undocumented foreign nationals,” said North West provincial police spokesperson, Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone. “The court handed down six months imprisonment or a R12 000 fine to each of the accused for illegal mining.” The sentences were suspended for 5 years. The illegal miners were further sentenced to three months imprisonment or a R6 000 fine, suspended for five years. The accused were then deported on January 7 to…

THE stage is set for a King’s Park rugby spectacular tomorrow – a full-strength French Toulouse side (holders of the Champions Cup) versus a full-strength Sharks side (holders of the Challenge Cup). This promises to be rugby at its best. It accounts also for excitement among patrons of the Pub With No Name, in Morningside, as they anticipate supplying elastic for the manufacture of catapults for the time-honoured victorious feu de joie in which the street lights are shot out. Will Morningside experience yet another blackout of joy? It depends on the likes of Eben Etzebeth & Co. ’Erewego, ’erewego, ’erewego! Wildfires Horrific wildfires in California – they seem to occur even in midwinter these days. Does this winter wildfire phenomenon have anything to do with global warming? I think…

Mother Nature has not been very happy in recent years, but the level of climate alarmism is proving to us just how naive some individuals are. In Mr Markandan’s recent letter “Effects of global warming intensifying”, he makes it clear that his understanding of cyclical weather patterns is rather limited. His reference to the start of the year being so bad due to the hot Durban summer is a reflection of just how much climate alarmism can play with your mind, if you allow it to. We all know by now that KZN gets very hot this time of year. Nothing has changed. Hurricanes, tornadoes, cyclones, floods and earthquakes are as normal as the sun rising and setting… but I know exactly what Mr Markandan will say: what about the…

The DA has today written to the Minister of Social Development, Nokuzola Tolashe, requesting an urgent investigation into allegations that elderly individuals seeking to apply for pensions are being turned away at the Pinetown South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) regional office and instructed to apply online instead. The DA can confirm an incident involving an elderly couple from Zwelibomvu, near Pinetown. The couple arrived at the Pinetown Sassa office yesterday at 7am to apply for the Older Persons Grant. However, they were informed that they could not be assisted in person and were directed to apply online, despite their apparent need for in-person support. While attending to another commitment, I encountered the distressed couple. They shared their experience, expressing feelings of helplessness and frustration. This encounter highlighted a concerning…

While it is still unclear if Dr Mbuyiseni Ndlozi remains a member of the EFF following his “voluntary” resignation from his position in the National Assembly, political commentators believe the writing is on the wall and if he stays in the party he will not have any influence. Ndlozi, who resigned yesterday, has spent the past five months, since the departure of Floyd Shivambu to the MK Party, in isolation after he was barred from taking part in the recent elective conference of the red berets. His resignation alongside another MP, Yazini Tetyana, has once again set tongues wagging as the party continues to show signs of decline. Reacting to Ndlozi’s resignation as an MP, political analyst Thobani Zikalala indicated that Ndlozi’s stay in the party has not been smooth,…

The Ray Nkonyeni Municipality on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast has been impacted for months by a workers’ strike that has disrupted service delivery. KwaZulu-Natal Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi is set to meet the disgruntled parties today to try and resolve the impasse. “Buthelezi aims to bring stability back to the municipality through direct engagement with all stakeholders. The goal is to ensure that all parties involved can find common ground and work towards a harmonious resolution,” Cogta said. Explaining the source of the dispute, a union member, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisals, said there was an award made at the bargaining council that dealt with the payment scale of the workers, which was complex. The union member said the…

Preparations for the formal and traditional wedding between King Misuzulu KaZwelithini and his third wife, Queen Nomzamo Myeni have begun. Although the king will formally pronounce on the event next week when he appears in public to address the nation during the ceremony of the first fruit (Umkhosi Wokweshwama), the date for the wedding has been set for Sunday, January 26. Acting traditional prime minister of the king and the Zulu nation inkosi Phathisizwe Chiliza confirmed the date. Chiliza said the district houses of traditional leaders were already busy with preparations, mobilising amabutho (warriors) and maidens. Chiliza said the king would share more details on the wedding ceremony and also allocate responsibilities for the roles to be played by traditional leaders, cultural experts and the government on the day of…

Climate change fuelled natural disasters that caused $320 billion in losses last year, German reinsurance giant Munich Re said yesterday, warning that “our planet’s weather machine is shifting to a higher gear”. The amount of insured losses totalled $140bn over the past year, making 2024 the third-highest total since 1980, Munich Re said in a report. The findings echoed similar figures from Swiss Re, the other leader of the reinsurance industry, which calculated overall losses of around $310bn, of which $135bn were insured. Last year is almost certain to go down as the hottest on record and the first to be 1.5ºC hotter than before the industrial revolution, the critical threshold laid down in the 2015 Paris accord on fighting climate change. “Our planet’s weather machine is shifting to a…

A host of countries have taken steps to reform the terms under which people can access their retirement benefits. South Africa is the most recent. In 2024 it introduced changes that allow access to some retirement savings while ensuring that most of the money is still preserved for later. Policymakers have considered this an avenue that offers financially distressed fund members the flexibility to access their retirement funds while still supporting long-term retirement savings. Retirement funds are also often the only sizeable savings that fund members have. A recent report by South Africa’s Discovery Corporate and Employee Benefits, which represents 3 000 employers that provide pension and provident funds for just over one million employees, found that people aged between 35 and 45 made the most claims to access the…

Hold on tight, because 2025 is kicking off with an offshore season that’s pure magic! The KZN coast has been absolutely buzzing with action, with every nook and cranny packed with incredible catches for our offshore anglers. Dorado, snoek, tuna, couta, and a host of other gamefish are making waves like never before. On the North Coast, the smaller boats and skis are reeling in some impressive dorado and couta, keeping the excitement high. But it doesn’t stop there – the deeper reefs and wrecks are dishing out epic bottom fishing, with big trawl soldiers and a massive variety of species coming to the surface. Squid and sardines have been the unbeatable baits for these deep-water hauls. The dorado have been particularly ferocious, with some true giants being hooked and…

I recall noticing, even as a young child, that the unkind boys and girls in primary school were the ones who appeared to have endured little or no suffering. They lived in palatial homes, had servants (whom they often mistreated), and parents who were at their beck and call. Empathy – although I had no name for it – was notably absent. I reasoned it was not something they felt they needed and therefore was not part of what they could offer. A series of vivid enduring events underscored my observations. As a chronic stutterer, I could tell exactly who would and who would not make fun of my speaking. I could smell the lack of empathy from a distance. They would go so far as to challenge teachers to…

Can a “cashless economic system” actually increase the already-rampant-crime gush? Tons of people have traditionally relied on a small cash handout to survive. This long queue of informal, unaccounted, unaudited recipients stretches from ordinary “beggars” at street intersections, crosses over to car guards at every conceivable (and many inconceivable!) parking spots, packers at supermarket tills, waiters at restaurants, bellboys and room-service attendants at hotels, and even unemployed shack dwellers, eking out a gruesome, grisly “living” alongside railway tracks, waiting for some kind soul to fling a tickey or two out of the window. “Cashless” implies that mostly credit and debit cards are now being used for payment, so carrying any form of cash is becoming redundant, with the outcome of a not-too-small segment of society being deprived of meagre handouts…

THE sharp eye of a judge landed a law firm in a difficult situation when it was discovered that of the nine cases cited in their application as case law, only two could be found, leaving the strong suspicion that they had used artificial intelligence (AI) to source their citations. Judge Elsje-Marie Bezuidenhout, sitting in the Pietermaritzburg High Court, not only ordered the law firm to pay the legal costs of the application from their own pockets, but she also referred the matter to the Legal Practice Council. It had emerged that an articled clerk had “researched” the case law and provided it to counsel in the matter, and that the latter never checked the citations before providing them to the judge. The issue came to light as a Pietermaritzburg…

Sekunjalo Investment Holdings said although the Competition Tribunal dismissed the company’s interim application compelling Nedbank to reinstate its banking facilities while the hearing into the prohibited practices complaint against the bank is concluded, the bank still has a case to answer. In responding to the ruling against it, Sekunjalo stressed that this was only an interim ruling and the matter is far from over. In noting the tribunal’s finding made yesterday, the group said: “It is important to clarify that this ruling pertains solely to the interim application and should not be conflated with the ongoing Competition Commission case where several banks, including Nedbank, acted in concert to terminate banking services to Sekunjalo unlawfully.” It said this matter is still to be heard together with the matter before the Equality…

Two of the seven men accused of killing Kiernan “AKA” Forbes and his friend, chef Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane, have told the Durban Magistrate’s Court that their circumstances have changed and they are seeking bail based on new facts. The accused were denied bail last year by the court and their appeal was also dismissed by the Durban High Court. They have now brought a fresh bail application. Accused four, Mziwethemba Gwabeni, through his counsel, advocate Simphiwe Mlotshwa, claimed that St Benedict School had given his family a letter of breach of contract since R100 000 in school fees had not been paid by December 10 as a result of his imprisonment. There is another Grace Place school charge that is past due. He said his child is attending counselling, along…

The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure is yet to reveal its plan for enforcing a court order to evict King Khoisan SA and his followers from the Union Buildings. The department approached the Gauteng High Court, seeking for the removal of a group of the Khoisan community from the Union Buildings, which is deemed a heritage site where no temporary structures are allowed. On December 11 the court granted the department an eviction order, giving the Khoisan 30 days to vacate the premises. Despite the looming deadline for them to vacate the premises, King Khoisan SA has made it clear that they intend to resist the removal. Since 2018, the small group of Khoisan community members has been camping in tents just metres from the statue of former…

Newlands stood as one to salute Proteas captain Temba Bavuma when he reached his century in the second Test against Pakistan last week. It was an emotional moment, as it was just his fourth Test hundred – having scored 24 half-centuries in 63 matches. The normally measured and reserved Bavuma celebrated with unusual gusto himself, lapping up the applause of the packed day one crowd. And it was fully deserved, as the 34-year-old came up with one of his finest knocks. Bavuma played some terrific shots, and brought up his 100 shortly before the close of play on day one. But that record of four tons and 24 fifties doesn’t tell the true story of his contribution to the South African batting line-up, especially in recent years, where he has…

New Zealand have for the best part of the last decade confounded expectations on the global cricket stage. The Black Caps have routinely punched above their weight by maximising their minimalist resources and found a way to win. At the heart of this success was their former captain Kane Williamson. In his own unique style, choosing dignity over aggression, but still possessing the inner steel to get over the line, Williamson was one of the finest leaders of his generation. Durban’s Super Giants captain Keshav Maharaj is elated with the fact that this amount of emotional intelligence, along with cricket pedigree, will now form part of his team’s quest to claim a first-ever SA20 championship title. “When I heard about it (signing for DSG), I actually dropped him a DM,”…